Improvement in dispensing with



UNITED ISTATES WILLIAM WHARTON', .I R., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.`

IMPROVEMENT IN DISPENSING WITH SWI'I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,454, dated December`13,1859." i

- and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which# Figure l, Plate l, represents an end view of a wheel having a tread upon each side of the `flange. Figs. 2, 3, and 4, same plate, show several positions of the wheels and track.

The nature of my invention consists in disl pensing with any form of switch now in use and substituting in place thereof a wheel provided with two or more treads or their equivalents, in combination with an additional raised rail or rails, either curved or straight.

I will now proceed to describe one of the `means by which two sets of cars may use the same rail in part and then separate and go in different directions. An ordinary rail, either straight orcurved, as desired, is laid, upon which cars provided with wheels of the ordinary form (fi. e., with a single tread, the flange being on the inner side) will run. At the point where it is proposed to change the route for another line of cars short inner rails are laid, having a gradual rise, upon which inner rail the inside tread of the double-tread wheels (represented in Fig. l, Plate l) shall run. These inner rails have a gradual rise sufficiently great to raise the car provided with the double-tread wheels high enough to pass over the rails of the ordinary track clear.

Thev mode of operation of this inner rail is as follows: Whenever the car provided with the wheels having double treads reaches an inner raised rail, it runs upon it by means of the inner tread, and being thereby raised entirely clear of the ordinary rail passes over it and follows the direction of the inner raised rail, whether curved or straight. After the car has passed a sufficient distance the inner rail may be discontinued, and an outer or ordinary rail may be substituted, upon which the outer tread of the Wheels will run. The

. inner rail is raised as compared with the outer `dinary form ,may, if desired, be operated on l f PATENT y OFFICE.,

depress the outer rail either thewhole ora part of the required distance, leaving theiu` y ner rail at or near the ordinary height. j Instead of using wheels of the shapes above mentioned, any shape may be used which provides an additional tread or treads either y upon the inner or outer side of the ordinary tread. The additional raised rails are always so placed that such of the extra treads as de-` sired shall run upon them, `and maytherefore be laid eitherfinside or outsideof the ordinary track atthe points where it is desired to change the route. Diiferentwheels having treads of the ordinary form, but of dierent widths, will thus of coursebe made to go upon dierent routes. At a certain point all the cars provided with wheels of a certain shape will, by means of the combination with the raised rails, be made tolgo upona certain l route. Other cars provided with wheels which will not run upon the raised rails as placed at that particular point will go upon adier ent route, and so continue until., at another 4 certain point, by means of raised rails properly V placed, they will be acted upon by means of the proper extra tread or treads, and continue either upon a curved or straight route, as desired. n Thus a 'number of different lines of` l cars may run upon the same track, and each line of cars as it arrives at the point properly arranged for 'it and not for theother lines will deviate from the courseand go upon its own particular route. l In running through express trains drawn by locomotives it maybevery desirable to use this combination, since such trains may be furnished with wheels with extra treads, which, in combination withraised rails properly placed for that purpose, will entirely disf regard all turn-outs or branch roads and con- L tinue directly through from station` `to station, while trains provided with wheels of lthe ory by switches moved in the ordinaryor any` other manner without inanyway interfering y with the arrangement as placed for the exi press-train alone. The height of the raised rails of course need not be greater than to` allow the wheels intended to run` upon them l to pass over the other track. Such rise may lI be made so gradual that there will beno per` y ceptible inclination at all. Any requisite guide-rails may he used if found necessary to keep the Wheels in their proper position.

Having` thus described my improvement, I

Would observe in conclusion that I do not claim and therefore do not confine or restrict myself to the construction or shape of Wheels which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as

' Variations may be made therefrom Without deviating from the principle of rny said in- Vention; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of a car-Wheel provided with one or more treads in addition to the Ordinary tread, (upon either the outer or inner side of said ordinary tread and of the same or different diameter as said ordinary tread,) in combination with additional raised rail or rails with a gradual rise, either curved or straight, so placed that such of the said eXtra treads, as desired, shall be caused to run upon them, thereby raising the car entirely clear of the ordinary track and causing` it to follow the direction of said raised rail or rails, Whether curved or straight, for the purpose of avoiding the necessity for railroad-switches, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbeforc set forth.

y WM. WHARTON, JR.v

Witnesses: l

J. G. MINI CHILD, J. H. B. JENKINS. 

